Promise
by stuckbeingrachel
Summary: "Do you remember our pact?" "That if we weren't dating anyone when prom rolls around…" "We'd go together." "You kissed me that day." he sighs at the memory, his grin growing. "Sealed with a kiss." she says shyly. "Best kiss of my life." he tells her honestly. Mara and Jerome have a late night chat...in each other's arms...things are bound to happen... R&R! I don't own HOA!


**I have to go to bed in a few minutes so I thought I might write this for y'all! This has been floatin' around in my head for a few days but I've been to lazy to write it...but here it is! R&R!**

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"Alfie!" Jerome groaned. His friend had just _stolen _his shirt. Usually it was his shoe or his book bag. Never his shirt! He ran a hand through his dirty blonde hair and laid down in his bed, waiting for Victor's familiar routine.

'_It's ten o'clock, you have five minutes, and then I want to hear a pin…drop…' _Victor's voice boomed through the house.

_Can't he come up with something new?_ Jerome thought with an eye roll.

An hour later he was still awake. His eyes would droop but would pop back open, refusing to give into the darkness, though he didn't know why. Alfie never came back into the room and guessed he was either snooping with the Scooby gang or he crashed on the sofa. Around midnight he heard his door creak open.

"Jerome?" a quiet whisper called.

His eyebrows drew together. _Mara?_ he thought. "Mara?" he asks out loud.

"I'm sorry, did I wake you?" she asks shakily.

"No, I've been up, are you okay?" he questioned, sitting up.

"I-" she starts. "I'm sorry, I'll let you get back to…" she trailed off and Jerome sat up straighter.

"No, it's okay." he assures her, barely able to hide the urgency in his voice.

"Are you sure?" she asks hesitantly.

"What's wrong?"

"I had a nightmare…" she says sheepishly, stepping into the room, avoiding her eyes. Her hair was slightly messy, her eyes a bit puffy and a yellow blanket was wrapped around her shoulders like a cape.

"It's okay, don't be embarrassed," he whispers. "Come here." he patted the spot next to him on his bed.

She looked at the spot unsurely and he grinned up at her, flashing his pure white teeth. "I don't bite."

She smiles slightly and slowly gets under his blanket with him.

He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and tucks her into his side. She snuggled into him, resting her head on his chest and throwing an arm around his torso.

"Jerome?" she says quietly after a moment of silence.

"Mm?" he murmurs, not wanting to ruin the moment.

"Do you remember when we were twelve, and it was a few weeks after I first got here?" she smiles at the memory.

He grins and nods. "Yeah, we were pretty good friends back then."

"Yes…" she sighs. "Do you remember our pact?"

"Oh, yes," his grin faltered a bit. "That if we weren't dating anyone when prom rolls around…"

"We'd go together." she finished.

"You kissed me that day." he sighs at the memory, his grin growing.

"Sealed with a kiss." she says shyly.

"Best kiss of my life." he tells her honestly.

"And when prom came…" she started.

"You were dating Mick then." he mutters.

"Yeah…" she mumbles awkwardly.

A few more minutes passed before Jerome decided to take a chance. "How about we make a new pact?"

"What do you have in mind?" she smiles, looking up at him.

He took a deep breath. "If neither of us are in love or dating anyone by the time we're twenty-nine, we'd…"

"Get married?" she asked knowingly as if she could read his mind. He nods numbly a light blush tinting his pale cheeks. He was grateful for the dark so she wouldn't see it. But he didn't know she was blushing worse than he was. "That's a great idea, Jerome," he beamed. "But," she continued and he sucked in a quick breath. "I'm already in love with some one…"

"Oh…okay…not a problem," he mumbles, dragging his fingers through his hair roughly.

"Boys are stupid." she says to herself.

"What?" he exclaims and she smacks a hand over his mouth to keep him quiet.

"You're the guy I love." she confesses as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Which it was.

"Oh…oh!" he grinned in realization. "I love you too."

"Promise?" she asks looking up at him hopefully.

"I can deny you nothing." he smiles.

She rolls her eyes and leans up to him. Their lips meat in a sweat, long kiss that caused both to grin like idiots.

When they pulled away they both laid back down, enjoying the other's company. Mara's head was lying on Jerome's chest, tracing the muscles of his toned stomach as he laid with his eyes closed.

"Jerome?"

"Mm." he murmurs again.

"Why don't you have a shirt?"

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**Hope y'all enjoyed that little drabble (?)! I liked it! Funny and cute, right? Please review! You know what I'm listenin' to? This Ole Boy by Craig Morgan...I'm obbsessed with this song! AH! Can y'all take part in that pole on my profile? It's still tied with three different stories! Thanks! Night, y'all!**

**-Rachel**


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